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London's wildlife crime unit saved from the axe

Friday, February 8, 2008

London, United Kingdom

The Metropolitan Police has responded to
public pressure and reversed a decision to make cuts to London’s Wildlife Crime
Unit.

In March the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they were intending to cut
core funding for two of the four posts within the wildlife crime unit due to
police budget constraints. However, after receiving 6,000 letters and emails
from members of the public urging them not to make the cuts, the Met has
reversed the decision.

WWF, IFAW (International Fund for Animal
Welfare - www.ifaw.org), ACAP (Active
Conservation Awareness Programme) and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
also wrote to and met with the then Met Assistant Commissioner, Stephen House,
to urge him to fully fund the department in the long term rather than relying on
sourcing external funds. These NGOs work with the Met Wildlife Crime Unit
and the GLA in a partnership called Operation Charm, combating the illegal trade
in endangered species.

Heather Sohl, species and trade officer at
WWF, said: “We’re delighted that the Met Police has made this decision and we
thank the many thousands of people who have helped make this happen by writing
with their concerns. Combating wildlife crime is an important part of police
work in London, not least because of its links to drugs and organised crime,
which is why a dedicated and effective unit is so vital. It is no good
just arresting criminals after the fact - prevention is so important when
illegal trade could lead to the extinction of some of the world’s most
endangered species.”

The Met had planned for two police
officers to continue to be funded from the police’s budget but two other posts
would only have been funded until March 2008. As well as prosecuting wildlife
criminals, the full unit is able to raise public awareness, train borough police
officers, and work with national and international groups to combat wildlife
crime. Goods which have been seized by the Wildlife Crime Unit include items
made from endangered species such as tigers, rhinos, bears, elephants, reptiles
and musk deer.

“Its job is of vital importance in combating the illegal trade in
endangered species in the Capital. The work conducted by the unit also has a
positive effect in other parts of the world where many of theseanimals or
their parts originate from, as the unit's efforts send a strong message to
criminals that illegal wildlife trade will not be tolerated.”

The
potential budget shortfall for the Wildlife Crime Unit – which has successfully
seized over 30,000 endangered species products illegally traded in London in the
past 10 years - was £80,000 a year, a drop in the ocean compared to the overall
Metropolitan Police Authority budget of £2.5 billion.